Farming booms in Alaska, Census of Agriculture shows

The Matanuska Valley, where most Alaska
farms are found, is known for big cabbages.

The number of American farms is declining, largely from consolidation, but a state not known for farming saw a 30 percent increase between 2012-17, Ryan McCrimmon reports for Politico's "Morning Agriculture" newsletter, citing a story by Liz Crampton on subscriber-only ProAg , based on the latest Census of Agriculture.

"The growth can partly be attributed to the relative youth of the state's agriculture industry. It's experiencing the same trajectory that regions like the Midwest and the South did decades ago," McCrimmon writes. Amy Pettit, executive director of the Alaska Farmland Trust, told Crampton: "It's the wild, wild West up here, and if you have access to land, you can grow whatever you want."

"Alaska has the nation's highest percentage of beginning farmers, with 46 percent of its producers having fewer than 10 years experience," McCrimmon writes. "Many are selling at farmers' markets, which have surged since 2006. At that time, there were 13 in the state, while today there are more than 50."

While Alaska has a shorter growing season, it's enough for many fruits and vegetables, and they have a higher sugar content because of the longer daylight at high latitudes in spring and summer. "This makes the produce sweeter when harvested," McCrimmon notes.